Bhagur An Open Defecation Free City in Maharashtra Declared on 2nd October 2015

Journey of a town towards becoming ODF

Urban Development Department Government of Maharashtra

Swachha Maharashtra Mission (Urban)

Contents

1 City Profile ................................................................................................................................ 1

2 Sanitation Scenario in the city prior to the launch of mission ............................................... 1

3 Targets set by the council under SMMU ................................................................................. 1

4 Initiatives by the council ......................................................................................................... 2

4.1 Action Plan for Implementation of Mission at City Level .............................................. 2

4.2 City wide Household Level Sanitation Surveys .............................................................. 2

4.3 Awareness Generation and Advertising of City Level Scheme ...................................... 3

4.4 Application Process and Monitoring Mechanism .......................................................... 4

4.5 Efficient Maintenance of the Community and Public Toilets ........................................ 5

4.6 Monitoring of likely Open Defecation (OD) spots to prevent OD ................................ 5

5 Declaration and Validation of ODF City by the Government ............................................... 6

6 Strategy for Sustainability ....................................................................................................... 6

7 Strategy for Moving towards ODF+ / ODF++ ........................................................................ 7

8 Success team ............................................................................................................................ 8

1

Bhagur, Maharashtra

1 City Profile

Bhagur is a Class C Municipal Council in Nashik District in the state of Maharashtra, India, which was established in 1925. Bhagur is the birth place of Indian independence movement activist, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The city has area of 0.67 Sq. Km. and is located at a distance of 22 km from district headquarter Nasik. The population of the city is 12350, with 2491 households (HH) according to Census 2011.

2 Sanitation Scenario in the city prior to the launch of mission

According to Census 2011, out of 2491 households in the city, 1056 households had toilets on premises, 1411 households are dependent on community toilets and 24 households defecate in open. Majority of toilets are connected to septic tanks. Bhagur Municipal Council has one vacuum emptier to clean these septic tanks. The septage is cleaned on demand basis from the households who complain for emptying septic tanks. The septage is then dumped in open space or is used in the agriculture as manure without any treatment.

Bhagur Municipal Council (BMC) has been awarded by Sant Gadage baba Nagari Swachhata Abhiyan in 5 consecutive years from 2002 to 2006.

3 Targets set by the council under SMMU

In order to achieve open defecation free status, the major target set by Bhagur Municipal Council is to generate awareness among citizens to stop open defecation. Providing individual toilets for households defecating in open was on priority.

42%57%

1%

58%

Access to type of sanitation facility in Bhagur

HHs having Individual Toilets

HHs dependent on community toilets

HHs defecating in open

Map 2: Bhagur Map showing Open defecation spots.

Map 1: Bhagur and other ODF cities in Maharashtra

Figure 1: Access to type of sanitation facility

2

4 Initiatives by the council

4.1 Action Plan for Implementation of Mission at City Level

After the GR on Swachha Maharashtra Mission, council distributed letters to council staff and councillors to participate in Swachha Maharashtra Mission (Urban). Council distributed the circular on 16th April 2015 about implementation of Swachhata Mission program in the city. According to the circular, the council staff was advised to perform sanitation activities on every Friday afternoon 3 to 5 pm. President appealed the citizens to maintain the city clean.

Photo 1: Letter to councilors about

implementing SMMU in Bhagur Photo 2 Onset of Swachh Bharat Mission in Bhagur

BMC decided to form an independent cell to implement Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan (Urban) in the city through general board meeting on 29th June 2015. Three officials were dedicated for this cell whose role would be as follows:

• To implement the government resolutions related to SMMU, • To do survey at city level • To take various actions to implement the scheme.

Action plan was discussed by BMC officials, about implementation of the scheme, as well as to distribute the grants to households which don’t have individual toilets (4000/- Central share + 8000/- state share = Total 12000/- per household).

4.2 City wide Household Level Sanitation Surveys

The survey has been conducted by Council, to confirm the current sanitation status. 24 Households defecating in open were identified. The list of such households was prepared and detailed project report was submitted at council.

3

Photo 3: Sanitation survey-Bhagur

Photo 4: List of 24 households defecating in open- Bhagur

4.3 Awareness Generation and Advertising of City Level Scheme

Meetings were organised for the 24 households who defecate in open. These households were informed about scheme and procedure in detail. The awareness campaign was organised, to change the behaviour of people. Awareness was generated in city through notice boards, posters and meetings. The ward level meetings were organised by councillors for the citizens to solve problems related to community toilets and also to generate awareness. Awareness generation activities were carried out by President, Chief Officer, councillors and council staff through various programmes.

President, CO and council staff did head to head consultation with all 24 households who defecate in open regarding the importance of using toilets for defecation. Problems expressed by these beneficiaries were also discussed and probable solutions were made.

4

Photo 5: Board and letter for awareness generation about Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Bhagur

Photo 4: Awareness generation through meetings in Bhagur

Photo 7: Council officials explaining toilet importance to the beneficiaries

4.4 Application Process and Monitoring Mechanism

Council has created a single window system at “Maha e – sewa setu Kendra” to facilitate citizens and receive applications for toilet construction. 24 households had submitted the applications. These applications were uploaded on SMMU website.

The grants were provided after the scrutiny of application forms and relevant documents. Locations of the proposed toilets were also visited and verified by council officials. After verification, the work orders were given to the concerned households. Monitoring of toilet construction was done by council staff through field verifications during construction phase and after completion of toilet construction. Photographic evidence was taken and same were uploaded on SBM portal.

5

Photo 8: Beneficiary with newly constructed toilet in SMMU- Bhagur

Photo 9: Validation by state level validation committee- Bhagur

4.5 Efficient Maintenance of the Community and Public Toilets

Council has 158 community toilet seats (10 blocks), out of which 70 seats are for women and 80 for men. These are repaired and maintained on regular basis by council staff.

Photo 10: Community toilets- Bhagur

4.6 Monitoring of likely Open Defecation (OD) spots to prevent OD

Mukadam from council found the 3 OD spots and photographic evidence were taken of the people who defecating in open as well as emphasized them the importance of toilets during the field visit in order to make city ODF. He also warned about filing a case against them as

6

per Bombay Police Act. Due to these efforts, open defecation has been stopped at these spots. Mukadam is doing monitoring of likely OD spots on regular basis to ensure that no person is defecating in open.

5 Declaration and Validation of ODF City by the Government

On 27th September 2015, Bhagur Municipal Council was self-declared as an ODF city and submitted a report to the Government of Maharashtra (GoM). On site validation at district level was done by the collector office on 29th and 30th September 2015 and positive report was submitted to the GoM. On 2nd October 2015, Bhagur Municipal Council was awarded by the Hon. Chief Minister of Maharashtra during the State level event organized by the GoM. Further, on 23rd to 25th November 2015, State Level Validation Committee conducted an in-depth validation as per the process set and the checklist provided by the GoM. Bhagur Municipal Council passed both this validation stage and is now listed as an “ODF City” in Maharashtra.

6 Strategy for Sustainability

Bhagur Municipal Council has given an utmost priority to achieving the target in such a way that it is sustained in the future. It has prepared an action plan for sustaining city to be ODF.

Early morning and evening visits to likely OD spots will be continued by council Mukadam. Besides this, strategy for discouraging open defecation includes awareness generation through banners and posters. Ward level meetings will be conducted by councillors to guide citizens about construction of individual toilets. Toll free number of BMC has been shared with citizens to complaint about any OD cases observed.

Photo 11: Facilitation by Honorable Chief Minister, Maharashtra for Open Defecation free Bhagur

7

For the second phase, Bhagur Municipal Council will be providing 350 toilets under SMMU. Along with SMMU subsidy, Bhagur Municipal Council is also providing subsidy of 12000/- for 300 SC households under Maharashtra Sujal Nirmal Abhiyan for getting their own toilets built. Rest of the households will be encouraged to use community toilets.

7 Strategy for Moving towards ODF+ / ODF++

As a sanitation improvement strategy for cities, GoM has developed a framework for defining ODF Cities in Maharashtra, which are as follows –

Elimination of OD practices

Access to toilets Conveyance and treatment of faecal

waste ODF City

• Not a single person found defecating in the open

• No traces of faeces are visible in the city at any time of the day.

• All the properties have access to either own toilet or community/ public toilet

• All toilets are connected to a disposal system

ODF+ City

• Not a single person found defecating in the open

• No traces of faeces are visible in the city at any time of the day.

• At least 80% of residential properties have access to own toilets

• Remaining properties have access to functional community/public toilets

• All toilets are connected to a disposal system

• Regular and safe collection, conveyance and treatment of all the feacal matter

ODF++ City

• Not a single person found defecating in the open

• No traces of faeces are visible in the city at any time of the day.

• At least 95% of residential properties have access to own toilets

• Remaining properties have access to functional community/public toilets

• All toilets are connected to safe disposal system

• Regular safe collection, conveyance and treatment of all feacal matter and waste water including septic tank effluent and grey water

Bhagur Municipal Council has already achieved the first indicator of this framework by eliminating open defecation practices in the city. Council is also encouraging households to construction of individual toilets by providing subsidies.

In order to achieve ODF++, Bhagur Municipal Council has prepared a DPR for sewerage treatment plant for waste water treatment.

8

8 Success team

A journey towards becoming Open Defecation Free Bhagur cannot be described without the continuous efforts of Bhagur Municipal Council and citizens. Though, following is the team behind success, which led this campaign:

• Mrs. Anita Vijay Karanjkar – President • Mrs. Sangita Nandurkar – Chief Officer • Mr. Nana Jadhav – Accounts Officer • Mr. Nilesh Baviskar – Sanitary Inspector • Mr. Jagdish Patil – Engineer • Mr. Pramod Ambekar – Contractor

Photo 12: Success team- Bhagur Municipal Council

Swachhta Pledge

Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of an India which was not only free but also clean and developed.

Mahatma Gandhi secured freedom for Mother India.

Now it is our duty to serve Mother India by keeping the country neat and clean.

I take this pledge that I will remain committed towards cleanliness and devote time for this.

I will devote 100 hours per year, that is two hours per week, to voluntarily work for cleanliness.

I will neither litter not let others litter.

I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with myself, my family, my locality, my village and my work place.

I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don't indulge in

littering nor do they allow it to happen.

With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat Mission in villages and towns.

I will encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge which I am taking today.

I will endeavour to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness.

I am confident that every step I take towards cleanliness will help in making my country clean.

9

This report is part of a series documenting the efforts made by 19 cities in Maharashtra towards becoming open defecation free. These cities have laid the foundation of "ODF Maharashtra" as envisaged under Swachh Maharashtra Mission (Urban) It has been prepared in consultation with Urban Local Government and Urban Development Department, Government of Maharashtra, with support from CEPT University, Ahmedabad and All India Institute of Local Self Governments (AIILSG), Mumbai under the Performance Assessment System (PAS) Project.